There are certain reasons that free-to-air TV will always have a special place in our hearts. It’s where we first met William, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. It’s where we watched many of our country’s great sporting triumphs growing up. It’s where we watched cartoons whilst munching down brekkie and finishing up the geography homework due in an hour’s time. SABC, you have had your moments.

Now, a new R550 million agreement signed between MultiChoice and the SABC has many questioning the legality of the deal, with some media watchdogs making a bid before the Competition Tribunal and arguing that the deal is not in the public interest.

When the contract was signed in July 2013, ostensibly giving MultiChoice control over some of the SABC’s programme policy and archives, the Competition Commission was not notified and some see this as a legal breach. Terence Moolman, Caxton’s CEO, believes the deal was signed without due process. He is quoted here in City Press:

The SABC has, as a result of concluding the agreement with MultiChoice, aligned itself with MultiChoice by departing from that position.

The agreement has accordingly vested MultiChoice with the ability to materially influence a fundamental aspect of the SABC’s television broadcasting business.

Caxton Publishers, along with Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and the SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition have joined forces to oppose the deal. The issue of the programming archives is also of concern, with Media Monitoring Africa’s William Bird quoted in City Press again:

The archives are more than simply a collection of old broadcast programmes and material; they are an invaluable public asset of a broadcaster that has unique footage of South Africa’s transition to democracy, including unique footage of [Nelson] Mandela.

It sounds like this one might just be getting started so we can probably expect a long and drawn out affair over the coming months and years.

If anyone from MultiChoice is listening I have only one request, echoed by many I am sure. Please can we see less of shite like ‘Storage Wars’ and ‘Duck Dynasty’ and more of actual historical events? It’s cool that some family in Louisiana share three teeth between them but the dumbing down of TV might be going a little too far.

[source:citypress]